HARRISBURG — Unemployed Pennsylvanians had a hard time filing claims with the state last fall. They were either on hold for hours or got busy signals.

The Corbett administration Tuesday blamed a $30 million drop in federal funding, antiquated technology and possible sabotage for the problems.

However, Julia Hearthway, secretary for the state Department of Labor & Industry, told a joint House and Senate panel that changes have been made.

“We feel the phone system is largely fixed at this point,” she said. ?

Not everyone agreed with the secretary. A Community Legal Services official said in written testimony that it’s still taking too long for unemployed people to get the help they need.

Sharon Dietrich, a managing attorney for the organization that provides free legal services for low-income Philadelphia residents, said a paralegal tested the system this month and waited as little as 48 minutes on hold to as long as four hours. ?

?Hearthway said the Department of Labor & Industry bought a new phone system from Verizon on Oct. 23.

Verizon’s technology replaced what she called “antiquated” technology that had been used since the state’s call centers were established in the late 1990s. ?

All funding for Pennsylvania’s administration of unemployment compensation programs comes from the federal government?.

Because the number of jobless claims ?dropped from January 2011 to September 2012, Washington paid the state $30 million less.??

Mark Shade is the Harrisburg correspondent for Calkins Media. He can be reached at mshade@calkins-media.com.

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